It's test time for USD freshman quarterback

USD head coach Ron Caragher is in the unenviable position of playing his third starting quarterback of the season — in this case, true freshman Bo Stompro — for today's Pioneer Football League game at Dayton.

While facing the Flyers (6-1, 4-0 PFL) should be quite a challenge for the Toreros (3-4, 2-3), at least it's a situation Stompro's been in before.

“My junior year of high school the starting quarterback got hurt and I had to finish out the last four games,” said the 5-foot-11 Stompro, who played at California High in San Ramon.

Asked if anything from that experience could be applied here, Stompro said: “Pretty much everything, except there's a lot bigger boys here.”

Stompro never figured in the Toreros' 2009 quarterback plans. In fact, he was playing with the scout team just four weeks ago.

Senior quarterback Sebastian Trujillo was the Toreros' starter before leaving the team for personal reasons three games into the season. Trujillo's replacement, redshirt freshman Sam Scudellari, started the past four games before suffering a season-ending injury in last week's loss to Jacksonville.

Scudellari fractured his left fibula, an injury that will not require surgery to heal but will keep him off the field for the Toreros' final four games.

Reserve running back Justin Fontenberry finished out the game against Jacksonville, Caragher choosing to buy some time before making a decision to burn Stompro's redshirt year.

Stompro needed no convincing when approached by his coach.

“He was excited and enthusiastic about the opportunity to play and wasn't concerned the least bit about a redshirt year,” Caragher said. “That really confirmed my decision to play him.”

Stompro hasn't thrown a pass in a game situation in nearly a year, but is confident he can lead the Toreros offense.

“I had a few butterflies here and there,” Stompro said, “but when I got the game plan I saw it was stuff I can execute well. Pretty much I just have to get it to the playmakers and I'll be fine.”

Caragher said he also intends to play Fontenberry, who brings a wildcat element against Dayton.

“The best decision is to go with Bo and play Justin intermittently as well,” Caragher said. “We'll see how he (Fontenberry) fits in, who has the hot hand and who's effective moving the ball.

“We'll see how Bo's poise is out there. Is he getting flustered? Sometimes a quarterback if he's ineffective just needs to sit a series or two to regain that confidence. Hopefully, between the two of them someone will step up and lead us.”